by Joel Dwek | Apr 26, 2021 | Reviews
The swansong for one of Mali’s finest musical exports, Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux demonstrate exactly why they are still a world music lodestar… In the history of African popular music, there is perhaps no band more influential than Les Ambassadeurs....
by Joel Dwek | Apr 16, 2021 | Reviews
The first Djiboutian album recorded for international release, Groupe RTD announce a fascinating music culture onto the global scene… Located in East Africa in between Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia, Djibouti’s coastal location on the strait of Bab-el-Mandeb has...
by Joel Dwek | Apr 16, 2021 | Reviews
Consummate pop music performed perfectly – but is there enough of it to satisfy? The first song on Taiwanese indie band The Fur.’s 2018 album Town is called Short Stay, which sums up my only real issue with the album, and it’s an uncommon criticism for me to...
by Joel Dwek | Apr 15, 2021 | Reviews
Wizkid establishes himself as one of the mighty trio of Afrobeats superstars, putting the genre into the Western public conciousness in style… Danny: In 2018, I had the absolute pleasure of living with a Nigerian prince. Whilst in the wake of the Duke of...
by Joel Dwek | Apr 12, 2021 | Reviews
Indie rock that musically harks back to grunge and classic rock, there is much to enjoy in Airport Impressions’ well-made album… Though I adore rock music more than any other genre, I have always been slightly sniffy towards the indie rock music artists of...
by Joel Dwek | Apr 8, 2021 | Interviews
Completing what might be an industry first, Light Warriors alongside a series of musical collaborators have created a project that highlights both oneness and diversity. We sat down with Light Warriors founder Erik Rabasca, as well as performers Kwadjo Spiri and...
by Joel Dwek | Apr 2, 2021 | Reviews
Breaking through boundaries in multiple senses, the Zimbabwean musician and singer shines a light on feminist issues in her native country Whatever else you may think about Hope Masike’s 2019 album, it is undeniable that it has a very mysterious and evocative title....
by Joel Dwek | Apr 1, 2021 | Reviews
The unique ‘tick-ish’ feeling is something that these Andalusian flamenco-rockers transmit in abundance… Formed in Cádiz in 1998, Andalusian rock group Los Delinqüentes (and that’s not just a Spın̈al Tap style unnecessary heavy metal umlaut, the...
by Joel Dwek | Mar 30, 2021 | Reviews
A bastion of Pamir culture, Fesov helps preserve his culture with this accomplished pop-folk fusion record… Graduating from the Dushanbe College of Arts in 1990, Oleg Fesov was not initially intending on a career in music. In fact, before turning his talented...
by Joel Dwek | Mar 28, 2021 | Reviews
Combining their fearsome talents with New Orleans-based musicians, Lakou Mizik aim to highlight musical links to the US, while also challenging assumptions about Haiti and its culture… The nation of Haiti has a fascinating history that is compelling by turns...
by Joel Dwek | Mar 21, 2021 | Reviews
Vocal talent that earns the right to reverberate against Michelangelo’s stunning frescos… Danny: In recent centuries, Europe has seen its music culture massively diversify, as showcased by the wide range of album reviews on our site that differ wildly from...
by Joel Dwek | Mar 18, 2021 | Reviews
Synths, industrial beats, smart production – it’s electro, but not as we know it My first impressions of Saudi Arabia-based electronic music producer MSYLMA’s debut album Dhil-un Taht Shajarat Al-Zaqum were that it is immediately attention-grabbing and...
by Joel Dwek | Mar 17, 2021 | Reviews
Hard rock mixed with ballads and experimental flourishes, Potato manage to put their own spin on the rock genre… Despite the fact that I do like this band and I like this album very much, we must address the elephant in the room, which is the fact that Potato is...
by Joel Dwek | Mar 15, 2021 | Reviews
Charmingly eclectic, French gypsy swing musicians Opa Tsupa have created an album with an irresistibly fun atmosphere… Combining light guitar music with gypsy violins and rhythms, Opa Tsupa were one of the pioneers of the so-called ‘gypsy swing revival’,...
by Joel Dwek | Mar 10, 2021 | Interviews
Having completed the huge undertaking of bringing an artist from every country together to perform on a single track, we spoke to Emma Newman and Jude Dexter Smith about their achievement, the thought process behind it, and the challenges they encountered along the...
by Joel Dwek | Mar 7, 2021 | Reviews
Challenging the stereotypes of their nation, Staritsa have made a folk-electro album with a mission statement… Folk fusion can be a tricky genre to pull off. Folk music, depending on the country of course, can have an image as a stuffy and old-fashioned genre...
by Joel Dwek | Mar 4, 2021 | Reviews
A superb collaboration between Auli & Tautumeitas that elevates the bagpipes from an object of derision to showcase a stunning sounding instrument… The humble bagpipe is often mocked and maligned in the UK and the USA. It is popular in Scotland as its...
by Joel Dwek | Mar 3, 2021 | Reviews
The powerful vocals and contemporary style of this album is what made this such an influence on the Turkish music scene… When Sezen Aksu rose to prominence, she changed the face of Turkish pop music, and became embedded as an enduring figure of Turkish pop...
by Joel Dwek | Mar 1, 2021 | Reviews, Top Picks
Their first album after their main songwriter left the band, the remaining members of Indonesian outfit Sore seized the opportunity to reinvent their sound… When a band loses its lead songwriter, it can be disastrous, or it can lead to a rebirth. One only need...
by Joel Dwek | Feb 20, 2021 | Reviews, Top Picks
State-supported coladeira music that challenges themes of injustice and colonialism across the globe… Formed in 1969 in the small island nation of Cape Verde, Os Tubarões, meaning ‘The Sharks’, went on to become Cape Verde’s most popular singing group, in no...
by Joel Dwek | Feb 19, 2021 | Reviews
Perfectly pleasant Pacific pop tunes are the order of the day with these Cook Island music specialists… Though their name may suggest to outsiders and people unfamiliar with the myriad of different nations, territories and islands that comprise the Oceanic...
by Joel Dwek | Feb 18, 2021 | Reviews
A hidden gem that demonstrates the beauty of cross-cultural collaboration… Hukwe Zawose, folk musician or fusion pioneer? That is the question posed by this underappreciated collaboration he made with celebrated Canadian producer and guitarist Michael Brook....
by Joel Dwek | Feb 16, 2021 | Reviews
Rattling along at a breakneck pace, King Ferus shows off his abundant talents in this album of Balkan brass… The American actor and writer of the 1920’s and 1930’s Will Rogers is known for having said that “I’ve never met a man I didn’t like.” Whether you take...
by Joel Dwek | Feb 16, 2021 | Interviews
Documentary filmmaker Nicolas Entel joined us to discuss his groundbreaking new Netflix docuseries Rompan Todo, in which he aims to construct a regional narrative behind the proliferation of rock music in Latin America… “Going to a concert in Argentina is as...
by Joel Dwek | Feb 7, 2021 | Interviews
Toeing the party line to earn a living whilst engaging in subversive acts to develop his craft, electro space-rock composer Stefan Elefteriu, speaks about plying his trade in the Socialist Republic of Romania, building his own synthesiser and his latest album Quantum...
by Joel Dwek | Feb 6, 2021 | Reviews
Balancing poetic lyrics and musical invention, Bahraini pop artist Ala Ghawas shows off his songwriting skills… Bahraini musician Ala Ghawas got his start in making music while he was a Fulbright Scholar studying in Boston in 2007. He released several EPs which...
by Joel Dwek | Feb 3, 2021 | Reviews
Sun Glitters’ lo-fi beats and ambient interludes make for a unique listening experience that aim to relax as well as engage… Luxembourgish lo-fi electronica musician Sun Glitters’ album, from its very name, gives you a hint as to what the style of music...
by Joel Dwek | Feb 1, 2021 | Reviews, Top Picks
Full of interesting musical ideas and consummate musicianship, Under Byen’s third album certainly succeeds in creating an intellectually and emotionally engaging masterpiece… The avant-garde stylings of Danish post rock group Under Byen (which translates...
by Joel Dwek | Jan 26, 2021 | Interviews
Stef Conner is a self-proclaimed dead language enthusiast, as well as a musician and singer whose passion had led her to some unique avenues of exploration; she sat down with us to speak about her latest Anglo-Saxon album and much more… “We’re dealing with...
by Joel Dwek | Jan 24, 2021 | Reviews
A seemingly solid indie pop record, reveals itself as more than that with its hidden lyrical depths… The brainchild of Swiss singer Valeska Steiner and German bassist Sonja Glass who together form the indie pop duo BOY, Mutual Friends initially appeared to me to...
by Joel Dwek | Jan 21, 2021 | Reviews
The subjective nature of music enjoyment is highlighted in this afro-jazz masterpiece… It is no exaggeration to say that Orchestra Baobab are icons of worldwide music. Established in 1970 as the house band of the Dakar-based Baobab Club, the band’s mix of...
by Joel Dwek | Jan 20, 2021 | Reviews
An experimental album that fails as often as it succeeds is just saved by Alina Orlova’s unique vocal talents… Born to a Polish-Lithuanian father and a Russian mother in what is now modern-day Lithuania, Alina Orlova’s music reflects those diverse cultural...
by Joel Dwek | Jan 17, 2021 | Reviews
Machado’s powerful voice shines in this celebration of Afro-Venezuelan culture… Before we start reviewing the album properly, we must address the earworm in the room. The song Oh, Santa Rosa will be stuck in your head for hours and hours, possibly days and...
by Joel Dwek | Jan 15, 2021 | Reviews
A legacy of the Vietnam War, Saigon Soul Revival appropriate a Western genre whilst adding a wonderful Vietnamese twist… In some respects, the very idea of Vietnamese soul music seems unusual. Vietnam in the Western consciousness is usually solely recalled in...
by Joel Dwek | Jan 13, 2021 | Reviews
Evocative of a Nordic winter, Aurora’s debut album features a song you’ll never forget… The unusual yet compelling sound of Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora’s debut album could perhaps be, in part, down to her own self-described isolated childhood...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 25, 2020 | Reviews
A celebration of the kora and Gambian music in general, Jobarteh manages to keep true to tradition while also managing to adapt the music for the times… The Gambia is mainland Africa’s smallest nation. Shaped snake-like, as if acting as a buffer for the Gambia...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 25, 2020 | Advent Calendar
IRELAND: Fairytale of New York – Christy Moore… Merry Christmas! For us, there was no doubt in our minds for what would be the king that sits astride the other World Music Christmas anthems in our countdown. Best associated with the original version...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 24, 2020 | Advent Calendar
PUERTO RICO: Feliz Navidad – José Feliciano… This is one of our favourite Christmas songs of all time. If you want to host a Christmas party and wish to get your guests dancing, then your best bet is to head over to your sound system and pop on José...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 23, 2020 | Reviews
An album with a twist as Systema Solar confront issues of feminism and environmentalism on the dancefloor… This album by Colombian electro-cumbia dance group Systema Solar is a truly great party album. It really is. Rumbera, my favourite song by a long, long...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 23, 2020 | Advent Calendar
CHILE: Doña María Le Ruego – Víctor Jara… This Christmas song by Víctor Jara is, unusually for a communist, very religious in its tone. Yet, there are parallels between his communist ideology and his lapsed Catholicism that can be drawn from the lyrics of...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 22, 2020 | Reviews
Sahra Halgan and her bandmates succeed in creating enjoyable songs, as well as shining a light on her homeland… Hailing from the unrecognised state of Somaliland, formed in the brutal civil war that Somaliland and its neighbour Somalia endure to this day, Sahra...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 22, 2020 | Advent Calendar
AUSTRALIA: White Wine In The Sun – Tim Minchin… Comedian Tim Minchin’s song is the perfect song for atheists, non-Christians and Christians who are able to laugh at the tragic comedy Christmas has become in the Western world. Whilst on this journey of...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 21, 2020 | Advent Calendar
UKRAINE: Shchedryk – Crimean Chamber Choir… This well-known Christmas carol has its origins in the Crimean region of Ukraine, which tells the story of a swallow flying into a house to declare the prophecy of the prosperous year that lies ahead. Whilst not...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 20, 2020 | Advent Calendar
PANAMA: 20 De Diciembre – Rubén Blades… Panamanian salsa superstar Rubén Blades, tackled the difficult subject of the US invasion of his home nation that took place five days before Christmas in 1989. The song, unlike much of his more upbeat work, is a...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 19, 2020 | Advent Calendar
THE NETHERLANDS: Een Heel Gelukkig Kerstfeest – De Toppers… Though this song is full of festive fun, it serves to remind us of Dutch Christmas, and thus poses questions about the way in which Christmas is celebrated in The Netherlands today. Meaning ‘A...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 18, 2020 | Advent Calendar
ISRAEL: סְבִיבוֹן סוֹב סוֹב סוֹב (Sevivon Sov Sov Sov) – Hana Laszlo… This charming Chanukah ditty is a kids’ favourite. It describes the traditional Jewish game of spinning the dreidel (known in Hebrew as a sevivon). The legend goes that in the times when...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 16, 2020 | Advent Calendar
EGYPT: Eporro – George Sadak… Though this Coptic Christmas hymn might not sound so traditional to its Western listeners, the song is in fact a part of the festive celebrations in Egypt, where the majority of Copts live. Collaborating with Chicagoan Celtic...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 16, 2020 | Interviews
Ecuadorian rock singer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, award-winning sound engineer, former lawyer, and academic Antonio Vergara spoke to NoiseNomad about his background, the power of music, the Ecuadorian music scene, and revealed an exclusive about his latest...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 16, 2020 | Advent Calendar
JAMAICA: Santa Claus, Do You Ever Come to the Ghetto? – Chronixx… This cover of gospel/reggae artists Carlene Davis and Trinity’s song touches on a theme that many fail to remember during the festivities. Whilst Christmas can often be a time of materialism...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 15, 2020 | Advent Calendar
SPAIN: Campana Sobre Campana – Parchis… This particular Spanish villancico (not quite a carol, but is often ignored as a term in favour of carol) is one of the few remaining popular villancicos remaining across the Iberian Peninsula. On the face of it,...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 14, 2020 | Advent Calendar
NIGERIA: Betelehemu – African Children’s Choir… Based on a Yoruban folk text, Betelehemu is a syncretic hymn about the birthplace of Jesus. Christianity is followed by just under half of the African continent, and as such Christmas remains an...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 13, 2020 | Advent Calendar
INDIA: Shehar Ki Pariyon Ke Peeche – Ayesha Jhulka and Aamir Khan… Not strictly a song about Diwali, this Bollywood hit is featured in the background of Diwali celebrations and has become synonymous with this festival of light. Diwali itself is a Hindu...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 12, 2020 | Advent Calendar
GERMANY: O Tannenbaum – Ernst Anschütz… This carol is perhaps one of the most recognisable across the world. Whilst it is not explicitly about Christmas, it is about a fir tree and its evergreen nature, which is associated with Christmas. Different nations...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 10, 2020 | Advent Calendar
LEBANON: لج تلج فيروز- (Talj Talj) – Fairuz… Whilst much of the Arab world do not have a notable celebration during the festive season due to their Muslim faith, one can often forget the region also is residence to those of other faiths including Bahá’i,...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 10, 2020 | Reviews
A joyful album born out of trying times, Pareira and Araujo show that entertainment for entertainment’s sake can have meaning… The small nation of East Timor (also known as Timor-Leste, but Wikipedia goes for East Timor and therefore so shall I) shares a...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 10, 2020 | Reviews
On the surface, famed Angolan musician Bonga’s latest album is just a set of pleasant, melancholy tunes, but dig deeper and you’ll find profound themes and resonances… Recados de Fora, meaning ‘Messages from Outside’ in English, is the...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 10, 2020 | Advent Calendar
ISRAEL: Ma’oz Tzur – Yonina… Husband and wife duo Yoni & Nina Tokayer’s cover of the Chanukah classic Ma’Oz Tzur updates an 800-year-old song that has been popularly sung by Jewish communities around the world since the time of its original writing. The song...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 9, 2020 | Advent Calendar
GREECE: Hronia Polla – Sakis Rouvas… For many around the world, Christmas Day is the day of giving and receiving gifts, however, not so in the Hellenic Republic (AKA Greece, to us simple folk). In fact, exchanging presents takes place on New Years’ Day,...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 8, 2020 | Interviews
Upon release of Malcura’s sophomore album, we were joined by guitarist Josh Voce to discuss a range of topics including cultural appropriation, busking days with Tash Sultana, and an impromptu gig alongside the band’s heroes… “Music’s come so...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 8, 2020 | Reviews
Fleet-footed finger-work abound, Carlos Paredes takes us on a breakneck tour of Portuguese fado music… When I was 12, I went on a school trip to Barcelona, and one of the events we participated in during the trip was to attend a concert of flamenco dancing and...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 8, 2020 | Advent Calendar
CANADA: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Michael Bublé… In some senses, the most traditional offering we could be giving you during our World Music Advent Calendar is this extraordinary rendition of the classic Christmas song Have Yourself a Merry...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 7, 2020 | Advent Calendar
BRAZIL: Tão bom que foi o Natal – Chico Buarque… As the largest Catholic nation in the Americas, it is no surprise that there is a wealth of Christmas songs and traditions. This particular song by famed Brazilian singer-songwriter Chico Buarque is a...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 7, 2020 | Reviews, Top Picks
The Chinese rockers prove their worth in this blisteringly brilliant debut album, demonstrating their lightness of touch as well as their ability to melt your face off with pure rock… There is an interesting debate to be had as to why do we respond in the way we...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 6, 2020 | Advent Calendar
SOUTH KOREA: Snow Candy – Starship Planet… This collaboration between K-pop artists K.Will, Sistar, and Boyfriend comes from a country that is not a Christian nation. Therefore, this Christmas song is continuing in the tradition pioneered in the West where...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 5, 2020 | Advent Calendar
SWEDEN: Mer Jul – Adolphson & Falk… This delightfully jaunty Christmas tune by the Swedish synth-pop superstars Adolphson-Falk details the excitement felt in anticipation of Christmas by Swedes across the land hoping for the most Christmassy day of...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 4, 2020 | Advent Calendar
ETHIOPIA: The Savior Of The World Is Born Today – Orthodox Tewahedo Church… Christianity is often thought of as being brought over to Africa by imperialist Western powers who colonised nations across the continent. This fallacy is put into check by the...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 3, 2020 | Advent Calendar
NEW ZEALAND: A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree – Kingi Ihaka… In some ways, this song is a perfect encapsulation of New Zealand today, celebrating its Maori culture, whilst also honouring its firmly Western identity. An adaptation of the popular English carol The...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 2, 2020 | Advent Calendar
LATVIA: Circeniša Ziemassvetki – Linda Leen… Armed with a beautiful maternal voice, and sung much like a lullaby, Linda Leen’s cover of Aspazija’s (Elza Pliekšāne’s) poem tells the rather sad story of a hungry boy living in poverty whose mother tries...
by Joel Dwek | Dec 1, 2020 | Advent Calendar
PHILIPPINES: Noche Buena – Joey Albert… Constituting the largest Christian nation in Asia, the Philippines has a wealth of different Christmas carols and anthems both religious and secular. Noche Buena by Joey Albert mixes the two creating a pop song about...
by Joel Dwek | Nov 26, 2020 | Reviews
A wide range of styles come together superbly in this wonderful album… What initially struck me about Dutch-New Zealander band My Baby (strange name for a band, I agree) is how retro and yet how modern they sound. They mix blues, funk, country and electronic...
by Joel Dwek | Nov 25, 2020 | Reviews
Pindoll have made a promising debut, with much to commend it and many catchy, fun tunes… Over the many, many albums we have found, listened to, pored over and reviewed on this site, there are several types or categories of album that we have identified. Twisted...
by Joel Dwek | Nov 24, 2020 | Reviews
Estonian electronic rock outfit Sopruse Puiestee attempt many things in the form of an album with many overarching themes and ideas… Sopruse Puiestee are a band from Estonia, a small nation on the Baltic Sea, near their linguistic brethren, Finland. Formed in...
by Joel Dwek | Nov 21, 2020 | Reviews
Easy, relaxed vibes pulsate through this collection of upbeat, jazzy tunes… Two things set off warning signs within me when I was given this album to review. First off the bat was the fact that on the album cover of Infinite Rhythm, Abbos Kosimov himself is...
by Joel Dwek | Nov 20, 2020 | Reviews
L’Eden dei lunatici provides a chilled out selection of enjoyable rock tunes that entertain, if not delight… Despite having been released in 2020, L’Eden dei lunatici by Italian singer-songwriter Umberto Palazzo has a distinctly 90s indie feel to it, with...
by Joel Dwek | Nov 19, 2020 | Interviews
Proud African, record producer, singer, musician and former investigative journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika, known professionally as Mzee, spoke to us about the importance of musical, cultural, and linguistic African traditions being continued in popular music… “I...
by Joel Dwek | Nov 18, 2020 | Reviews
An ambitious, if not entirely successful set of Latin-Balkan fusion tunes by Churupaca that alternately delights and frustrates… Most often here at NoiseNomad we review things we like, but occasionally I find myself having to review an album I don’t know if I...
by Joel Dwek | Nov 9, 2020 | Reviews, Top Picks
Gurrumul is a masterpiece of the highest order that evokes plenty of emotion and highlights the importance of preserving Aboriginal culture… About two weeks before I began writing the review for Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s debut solo album Gurrumul, I saw an...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 31, 2020 | Reviews
French DJ Llorca’s debut album mixes in soul, jazz, bossa nova, and funk alongside electronica and house, and a sonic journey into his own musical origins… The French house musician Ludovic Llorca got his start releasing records in 1997 on a small record...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 29, 2020 | Reviews
Easy, relaxed vibes pulsate through this collection of upbeat, jazzy tunes… The Caribbean islands have a myriad of musical styles associated with them, from reggae and calypso, to dancehall to dub, but one of the most popular styles of recent years has been soca...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 27, 2020 | Reviews
Albanian folk music meets pop in this largely successful and interesting fusion album… One of the great joys of this whole experience for me has been the ability to learn about the culture and people of the countries where we are searching for music, and there...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 21, 2020 | Interviews
Mexican songwriter and bassist Carlos Toledo joined us to tell us about his band’s latest album Prueba El Sabor, the salsa scene in Mexico and much more… “You don’t need to speak Spanish to enjoy and listen to the music…” That said, it might help....
by Joel Dwek | Oct 18, 2020 | Reviews
The cultural heritage of the Mongolian people is on display in Egschiglen’s album of traditional music of the steppe… Danny: I have never been more nervous about writing a review. Partially because, unlike with most albums one might not like because the...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 15, 2020 | Reviews
Zorba The Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis collaborates with Grigoris Bithikotsis and Meri Lida, two singers of different styles to form a delightful Greek folk album… While the music of Grigoris Bithikotsis and Meri Lida might make one think of gyros, kleftiko,...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 13, 2020 | Reviews
A mixture of Melanesian melancholy and pop bangers, George Telek shows why he tore up the music scene across all of Oceania… From the opening drumbeat of the first song, Sonny, I knew I was in for a treat. In fact, just looking at the album artwork you know...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 12, 2020 | Reviews, Top Picks
The work of Sinn Sisamouth reveals a fascinating lost world of Cambodian music, and the tragic circumstances that surrounded its downfall… When Danny gave me Reatrei Nov Hong Kong, Vol. 58, he became the first of the two of us to intentionally break the first...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 4, 2020 | Reviews
Ghana’s very own Bizung talking drum chief Mohammed Alidu flexes his drum tapping fingers, as well as his songwriting chops in this fusion album… Mohammed Alidu’s music is particularly interesting because of his musical heritage, one I confess I knew...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 2, 2020 | Reviews
Inventive electronic music that combines ambient, funk, rock, and so much more, beluga stone consistently surprise in this eclectic effort… Poland, as a country, is perhaps most famous in the music world for producing the famed pianist and composer Frédéric...
by Joel Dwek | Oct 1, 2020 | Reviews
Indie rockers with a French twist; look out for the track that features one of the British rock icons of our time… Illusion et Imparfait by the French indie rock band the Dandies is a pretty great album, but before we get into the nitty gritty of the album, I...
by Joel Dwek | Sep 29, 2020 | Reviews
What’s the link between the Vaudou culture of Togo and the funk music of the 1970s? Vaudou Game show us where the two can meet… A while ago, we reviewed Benin International Musical’s first album BIM #1, and it was in that review where we touched upon the...
by Joel Dwek | Sep 20, 2020 | Reviews
Thandiswa treads the line between tradition and innovation in this enjoyably eclectic album… When scouring the world for albums from every country, we have found that there are, broadly speaking, two types of musician, and then there’s the grey zone in between...
by Joel Dwek | Sep 18, 2020 | Reviews
We delve into the world of chanson music, with this strange yet compellingly mysterious and melancholic effort from Monegasque poet and musician Léo Ferré… Léo Ferré deserves one accolade despite anything else I might say about this album – this is hands...
by Joel Dwek | Sep 15, 2020 | Reviews
Calypso-style beats and African rhythms define the unique music of these very Happy Boys… On a surface level, Akoeba by the Happy Boys is simply an infectiously fun, upbeat, uplifting album that could make even someone like me, who has two left feet, tap their...
by Joel Dwek | Sep 14, 2020 | Reviews, Top Picks
Beautiful singing from Sammy Davis Jr and gorgeous acoustic guitar playing from Laurindo Almeida – what more do you need…? What do we mean when we pick an album as ‘album of the week’ on this site? It usually means that the album in question...
by Joel Dwek | Sep 13, 2020 | Interviews
We sat down with Slovenian electronic music producers JK Soul and Zoran Savin to discuss their career so far and their affinity for the soul genre… “It was a clear statement that JK Soul is getting back to the soul – in the soul of his soul, and the soul...
by Joel Dwek | Sep 12, 2020 | Reviews
Classical crossover pop with operatic influences, iD shows a different side to Kazakh music… Kazakhstan is a central Asian state, a former part of the Soviet Union, and that is where I suspect most people’s knowledge about the nation begins and ends. Rather...
by Joel Dwek | Sep 9, 2020 | Reviews
K-Pop has taken the world by storm, and IU’s album Modern Times is a good showcase for why that is… K-Pop is a world unto itself, but not necessarily one that is the most accessible to all. Sure, everyone knows about PSY and Gangnam Style, but K-Pop can be...
by Joel Dwek | Sep 8, 2020 | Reviews
This album of vibrant jazz-pop fusion from the former Yugoslavia impresses with its gusto and energy… The jazz rock stylings of Croatian keyboardist Tihomir Asanovic are not necessarily what one would expect to come out of what was then communist Yugoslavia, but...
by Joel Dwek | Aug 27, 2020 | Reviews
Whilst this Bavarian album doesn’t encourage Schuhplattler dancing, The Poets of Rhythm’s fabulous funky beats forces its listeners to get down and boogie… If I did not know that this band was German, I would never have guessed it. So completely have...
by Joel Dwek | Aug 26, 2020 | Reviews
A bundle of fun with distant associations with the jewel in the crown of London’s annual calendar to make it just that little bit more special… Joel: Machel Montano’s music on Monk Evolution is a broadly crowd-pleasing set of fun soca tunes meant to get you up...
by Joel Dwek | Aug 25, 2020 | Reviews
Aggressive, punky beats and passionate lyrics are Karima 2G’s forte – but what can she tell us about the state of Italy today…? Italy is a country that I love. I’ve been lucky enough to spend time there both on holiday, as an exchange student with a...
